Chocohotopots - Help!

Asked by leena.mary.mathew. Answered on 3rd August 2011

Full question

I followed everything for the Chocohotopots (Feast p256) that I saw Nigella make on the television (and then even viewed it on youtube). I used all purpose flour, and instead of the choc chips, i used Lindt dark choc - extra fine - and cooking butter. Is normal sugar fine, or should I use caster sugar? I have a Samsung grill cum convection microwave oven, but I can only set it to Watts. I set it to 180W,for around 15mins or so. Since it was my first time I thought I would try it with just one ramekin filled with batter. After i closed the oven window, I saw the batter rising up and down inside the ramekin, which is why i took the ramekin out with 10-11mins. To my dismay, there was no gooey choc oozing out, and as I ate it hot, it was more like a cake. it was getting harder as I time went by Please help me, on where I have gone wrong. Leena

Our answer

The main problem is likely to be the oven and baking method. Unfortunately combination ovens tend to cook more quickly than conventional ones, particularly if the oven is being used with the microwave function, and the key to the oozing centre of the Chocohotopots is that they are under baked so they don't set. From the description it sounds as if the cakes were very fully cooked.

Your oven handbook may be able to give some approximate wattage to temperature conversions. If you don't have this then you may have to try a few experiments to work out the appropriate time - checking the puddings after say the first 5 minutes and then at 2 minute intervals thereafter. The top only needs to be set and slightly cracked for the pots to be ready. Also bear in mind that in a microwave oven one individual pot will cook more quickly than 4 together.